The infamous Octopus Garden. Hidden away on Cornwall street just blocks beside Burrard street. Words on the street says it has quality that can rival the might Tojo. On my Birthday Dinner, I finally has a chance to visit this tiny tiny shrine in Kitsilano.
You can most certainly see the Owner/Head Chef’s playful heart as you walk into the store. There is a cute wooden boat right in the middle of the store. (I was fortunate to be sit there as well!! Woo Hoo, time to go out and get me some Sashimi)
Like the name Octopus Garden, you can see Octopus everywhere. Air Vent on the Ceiling shaped like Octopus. Octopus chopstick stand. Stuffed Octopus Doll on the boat!
Hot sake in hand crafted pottery on iron stands has a very interesting touch to it. Though we order the most common gekkeikan but it certainly brings out the elegancy to it. Everything looks so cute and perfect.. I can’t wait to dive in to the culinary adventure on my boat =)
The Welcome Dish – Toro butter, with fish roe drizzle with very light soy sauce. If you don’t get what Toro hype is about, it is probably because you weren’t eating the right stuffs. The fatty tuna melts instantly in my mouths like tasting delicate butter. Why does God made fat so tasty ><
First Dish – Assorted Tempura. This Tempura is truly exceptional. Using unusual ingredient such as tofu skin, spot prawn, fish,and big shiitake mushroom. The breaded batter was nice and crisp. The tofu skin is a truly innovation. Crunchy batter on the outside and soft tender tofu skin in the inside. It’s quite special.
Second Dish – Eel roll. The combination of eel cucumber and fly fish roe nicely balance. The eel is of the freshest quality, lightly coated with Japanese bbq sauce and grilled to perfection. The sesame on top is a little overpowering to my taste.
Third Dish – Uni Shooter. This is the greatest creation of all. Sea urchin with quail egg mixed with Perilla and some unknown sauce. This is the magical experience, imaging sitting by the farm that can gaze into the ocean, drinking a nice cup of tea. The urchin is the freshest I have ever tasted in BC, hack its in the top three in my book. (To be honest, BC is one of the major producer of sea urchin, but I rarely see them on sale and the one in store are always mediocre, I guess they all got imported to Japan)
Third dish – Art of Sashimi. This cute little Sashimi display is so cute and playful. Again harmonizing the atmosphere of the store. The sashimi bento (lunch box) is perfect for my voyage on my wooden boat. The taste is also at the highest quality. I would say it is equal or higher than Vancouver’s best Sushi Bar Shiro. But you have to pay for the visual experience. One thing to note here is the saba sashimi. Saba (Mackerel) is not a easy fish to do Sashimi. Often time, the strong salted flavor Saba still seep lots of fishy smell. But not here, Saba is light in taste so the customer can fully endure its wonderful flavor.
Fourth dish – Lobster on Vacation. This dish is probably the cutest display I have seen in Japanese Cuisine. Plated in the banana leaf tray, I guess the lobster has went to somewhere near the equator and got captured. I like the dish as it is very clean and to the point. It is all about lobster so there isn’t too much sauce on the roll. At this point, I noticed the chef doesn’t believe in mayonnaise. As often referred as dishonest way in Japan, I truly admire that. If you add mayonnaise to a roll, it most likely just kill the taste of the ingredient. But somehow the roll just lacks of something for me, maybe the lobster could be lightly grilled with a torch? I still like my lobster hot I guess. (I am being very harsh on this roll because hack it’s a 30 dollar roll)
Fifth dish – Wagyu Beef. Wagyu beef is basically beef raised Japanese style. The beef has extra marble so it taste nice and juicy. The beef is definitely top of the top quality and the cooking device is quite interesting. I truly enjoyed it but I would say it is a bit on the overpriced side. If it is up to me, I will use the money to buy this funny looking grill and do it at home. That’s only because Canadian Beef are always top quality already.
Sixth dish – Nigiri rolls. At this time, the canucks is still 1 v.s 0 chicago on the 7th game. The owner is a die hard Canucks fan so I think it is really hard for him to concentrate now. Every nigiri is done to perfection here. To pick bone, I would say the toro nigiri is not looking that complete. (could be the intense game? haha). What is the most interesting dish here is the shiitake mushroom nigiri. Lightly breaded and fried. This is something truly different to have the beautiful shiikate mushroom with sushi rice. I really liked it.
Seventh dish – Soba Maki Tempura. This is a extremely innovated. The cooked noodle is wrapped seaweed then breaded and fried. The filling has spinach, crabmeat and fish roe. I can only admire the skill of the execution. The cooked noodle is lined up perfectly. The taste – nice and light very refreshing. I am glad we ordered this last.
Departing candy – Octopus gummy. This gummy octopus not just cute but surprisingly tasty. Because it has two different flavor that just blends together. I really like it.
Thanks to my dear friend. I truly enjoyed the adventure at Octopus garden. This tucked away Japanese shrine did not get the media attention that it deserved. But it seems like a lot of celebrities knows about it. The creativity, execution, and freshness is incomparable. Although some of the dish may be a little bit too pricey for the most of us. But it nows open for lunch with ramen and sushi combo at very reasonable lunch price. Don’t hesitate to come out to the east end of Kits and have a taste of this exceptional culinary art.
Notes: Fun to dine. Freshness guarantee. Perfect execution. Very pricey.
Worth the drive? Yes!
Food: 27/30
Decoration: 24/30
Service: 24/30
Price: $60~$150
http://www.octopusgarden.ca/index.html
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